CHON – ‘Grow’

In the past seven years, Californian quintet CHON have blossomed from playing home shows to touring with acts such as Animals As Leaders and Circa Survive. They drew from their experience on the road to release their first EP, ‘Newborn Sun’, in 2013, followed by EP ‘Woohoo!’ the following year. They’ve finally released their debut album though and, upon listening to ‘Grow’, it’s not difficult to see why they’ve gained such a huge following in, what can be seen as, a relatively short time.

Tracks ‘Book’ and ‘But’, featuring Matt Garstka from Animals As Leaders, kick the album off in perfect style. Their blend of jazz, prog rock and classical music sounds like it shouldn’t work in the slightest, but CHON have created a fun, quirky sound with their various influences. ‘Fall’ is packed with lively riffs and quietly powerful drum work, while ‘Knot’ contains intricate guitar work and bass lines that’ll make the earth shake.

‘Can’t Wait’ is the first track to feature vocals of any kind, and what a delight they are! They’re deliciously warm, as is the lyrical content, which contains lines such as, “I just want you home now.” Both the vocals and lyrics complement the tracks ambient vibe beautifully, and ‘Echo’ sees the use of these vocals grow in power and confidence.

‘Grow’ is an absolutely stellar debut album, and shows that CHON really aren’t your average band. Granted, it may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s a fun and entertaining album that’ll put a smile on your face if you do listen to it.

JESS TAGLIANI